The instructors

Shaykh Dr. Sajid Ahmed Umar initially pursued a first degree in Information Technology and went on to successfully establish an IT business. He later turned his focus to Islamic Studies, completing a 3-year University Diploma in Arabic Language and Islamic Sciences at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University. He subsequently attained a bachelor’s degree in Sharī’ah and a master’s degree in Judiciary (Qadā) with honours from the Higher Institute for Judiciary Studies (Ma‘had al-‘Alī li al-Qadā).

He trained as a judge and completed a thesis on Liquidity Management using the famous Repurchase Agreement (REPO) contract and its rulings and permitted alternatives. He later earned a PhD in Comparative Islamic Law and Judiciary from the Higher Institute of Judiciary at Al-Imam University, with his two-volume dissertation focusing on Sharī’ah solutions in Financial Risk Management.

Dr. Sajid has contributed significantly to Islamic academic and project development worldwide. He has authored several scholarly articles and dissertations in both Arabic and English across various Islamic sciences and contemporary fields. He is a published reference in Islamic transactions and finance and is a recognised scholar in the fields of zakāh, inheritance, waqf, business, investments, compliance, and financial adjudication.

He currently serves as an Associate Professor at an International Higher Education Institution, and chairs the Panel of Scholars at the Islamic Finance Advisory.

Umer began his career as an auditor at EY before holding senior positions at HSBC and Daiwa Investment Management. He currently serves as Chief Risk Officer and Global Head of Compliance & Sharī’ah at Wahed.

In addition to his executive role, Umer sits on the boards of the UK Islamic Finance Council (UKIFC), Cambridge Muslim College, and the Muslim Legal Fund. He is also an advisor to the Islamic Finance Advisory (Scholars Council) and co-founder of the National Waqf. His advisory work extends to several Islamic fintech startups.

In 2016, Brummell magazine named Umer “One to Watch” in the City of London, recognising his leadership in Islamic finance and his role on the steering committee of the Cube Network, an umbrella group for professional Muslim corporate networks.

Umer holds a degree in Economics and Management from Royal Holloway, University of London, and has completed postgraduate studies at Manchester Business School and Harvard University. He is a published author on the topic of Islamic fintech and waqf and has appeared on various TV channels such as Al Jazeera, the BBC and Sky, and has been quoted in various mainstream publications, such as The Economist and The Financial Times.

Umer was amongst the first cohort to graduate from Sabeel and continued his studies of the sacred sciences with various teachers. He is a regular khateeb in his locality and an international speaker on Islamic finance and leadership.

Safdar Alam is a seasoned investment banker with a specialty in Islamic finance, holding an illustrious career working for renowned banking giants including UBS, Crédit Agricole, and J.P. Morgan, where he was Global Head of Islamic Structuring. He has advised multiple governments and was instrumental in shaping pioneering financial instruments within the field.

He brings an expert knowledge of transactions and structures used in the global financial markets, including sukuk, investment funds, treasury products, hedging instruments, and structured products. Safdar has advised several governments as they entered Islamic finance, within the GCC, Europe, Asia and Africa.

After his investment banking career, Safdar moved into Islamic fintech, being the co-founder of an Islamic digital banking platform, and currently supports a large Islamic fintech in developing their alternative investment business, covering venture capital and real estate investments.

Safdar also possesses a robust academic perspective, having authored several books within Islamic finance and developed a postgraduate Islamic finance course at Queen Mary University on Islamic law and Islamic finance. He is deeply invested in education and has spearheaded multiple training programmes, aiming to foster the next generation of Islamic financiers.